Judge rules Seattle media must give protest videos to police

First Amendment lawyers are concerned that a Seattle judge ruled that five news outlets must surrender to police their unaired photos and videos from a May protest. The police are investigating fires set to police vehicles and the theft of firearms from the vehicles. The ruling could make journalists unwelcome at protests. (Poynter, July 24, 2020, by Nicole Asbury)

Law professor Eugene Voklokh, Reason, July 25, 2020, writes that the Seattle judge is standing on firm ground given the Supreme Court ruling, Branzburg v. Hayes (1972), and Washington state law that allows a court to force news media to yield news or information in a criminal investigation when certain conditions apply.